


Throw Him in the Sea

by AwkwardDuckProducktions



Category: Campaign (Podcast), Skyjacks fandom
Genre: Bad Help, Blood and Injury, College AU, Cuddling as Imprisonment, Didn't mean to actually write this, Don't Try This At Home, Dref's not having a good day, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gable be like 'is that person being selfdestructive' and not wait for an answer, Gable is 7 foot tall and does what they want cuz who is going to stop them, Gen, He cares but he's an asshole about it, Hey. Reader? Please don't do anything these characters do, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jonnit is 17 simply because I wouldn't trust a 15 years old in college lbr, Jonnit needs a hug, Like Bad in the sense of 'please don't try this at home', Modern AU, Panic Attacks, Platonic Cuddling, Self-Destruction, Self-Hatred, Suicidal Thoughts, Team as Family, The second will be slightly better but with a happy ending, There is a whole extensive thing made for this I shit you not, They will get through this, This first chapter is Rough, Travis is an asshole, Travis is an asshole for plot reasons, Travis is still an asshole, this will have a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25784473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardDuckProducktions/pseuds/AwkwardDuckProducktions
Summary: Dref had done well for 4 years, but his past caught up. And now he had to pay the price.
Relationships: Gable & Jonnit Kessler & Travis Matagot & Dref Wormwood
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

He made it back. Locking the door behind him with shaking hands, Dref made it back. He tried not to think about the blood on his hands from when he wiped his nose. Tried not to think about the last couple of hours. He tried, bracing himself against the door like he could hold it close should they come for him, not to think about the familiar aches and pains, the taste of blood on his lips. Tried not to think about how much it hurt to cry as he crumbled to the floor. He tried and he failed. 

Dref kept quiet. The ones who hurt them also taught him how to cry silently. He was never strong like them, unable to stop himself from tears. His friends would say that was a good thing, that it meant they could know when to help. But his eyes ached behind his glasses, the left nearly swollen black. And tears didn't make it better. Neither did the hard truth lodged in his throat.

He didn't waste time to wipe away his tears, he knew they would still come as he packed. There was no one awake to say anything about it anyways. He double checked as he crept to his room, each of his friends sleeping peacefully unaware.

In his time of hiding, he had learned how to live a minimalist life. It had only been recently he had started adding more clothes than his four outfits, encouragement from his beloved friends he never had before. Yet still, they fit in the suitcase without issue.

His entire self could fit in just one suitcase. The identity he had built for himself was more a life than his prior life. The person who he could be proud of could fit in one suitcase and that saddened him more. A weight that blocked all of his tears fell on him. No where would ever be safe for him. And even if he left, his friends would still be in danger. He was a cursed prized diamond, treasured for how it made the trophy room glisten but for those who hold it will find nothing but misfortune.

Diamonds could shatter. Enough pressure and it would break, releasing the curse. He left the suitcase sitting out in his room, wrote a quick letter and went to the old office.

He opened the door and found his steely resolve shaking as Gable took notice of him standing there. "Holy hell! What happened?" They crossed the room and held his face to inspect as words refused to help him. Left him stammering and stuttering nonsense as they touched him with a gentleness he never thought was possible. "Dref, who did this to you?" Their voice was soft, making Dref's bitter as it clawed its way from deep inside.

"It-It d-doesnt matter!" He slapped away the kind hands, much to both of their surprise.

"It matters to me." Their once gentle voice ablazed with a deadly fire he had witnessed before destroying whole lives. Now used on him.

"It-it-it-it shouldn't!"

"You matter to me, Dref. And-"

"- in what-t way?" Gable’s defensive shoulders dropped, the tower crumbled.

"What?"

" _ In. What. Way. Do. I. Matter. To. You. _ " Each word careful and forceful, refusing to let his impediment cloud his anger. When Gable didn't respond, shocked to even be asked, he continued. "Am I ju-just a-a-a nurse for you? Just s-s-someone t-to patch you up?"

"No-"

"Ju-just someone who maybe h-h-has a ch-chance on f-f-figuring out h-h-how t-to kill you?" The weight of the unspoken fell on both of their shoulders. Dref dared not look away, he needed to do this. To see this. To know that they won't care about him once he leaves. "Why else w-would I-I matter t-to you?" 

"Dref-"

“ _Don’t._ ” The hurt in their eyes left his blood cold. Still, he trudged on. “J-just d-don’t.” And he turned away. He didn’t need the gun from Orimar’s desk. He would figure out something. He always had.

But no one had ever dared to grab him from behind like Gable did. Held him so tight, his feet were off the ground. His arms uselessly pinned to his sides as he tried to break free.

“Dref, I don’t-” Words failed them, struggled to force them out more than they did with restraining the fighting prisoner. “-What? Just-”

“Gable-”

“No, you don’t-” Their voice hitched, “-you don’t get to say that.”

“We’ve b-b-both been th-th-thinking it.” Dref gave up the fight, hanging limply in their arms.

“No,” Gable softly responded into his short hair, their chest heaved as they tried not to cry. “I haven’t.” His will crumbled and fell like ash, the flames that had been ignited had burned itself out. “Dref, what’s gotten in you?”

“Let me g-go.” He pleaded like a prayer.

“No, you don’t- Not until I think you’re not about to harm yourself or someone else, I don’t have to let you go.” What he once thought it was just a joke long ago, Dref realized that he had agreed to such terms. A worrying thought crossed his mind on what could have happened to make Gable state that at the beginning of their friendship. Just how many times had Gable done this? How many times did they wish they did?

"I-I d-d-don't want t-t-t-to t-talk about it." He clearly stated.

"We can- we can pencil it in for later but right now..." They walked into the living room, lit only by the city's lights below. Made it easily to their chair and sat down, keeping him close. Dref knew that he was no match against Gable's strength, but his only other option would wake the others- more dastardly, would wake Jonnit- which was something he could not handle. "We can- we're going to sit here until you're ready to talk."

"I don't-d-don't-"

"-I can wait until you're ready." A threat with the weight of a promise. If anyone could wait, it would be Gable. Waiting for the microwave was the same as waiting for the truth, just something that had to be done. And Dref hated that his best option was to tell a little of the truth.

"Me be-being here isn't- isn't safe." Words like icy acid burned as they stuttered out. "I've p-put you all in gre-great d-d-danger." Their claws and talons tore all the way from his heart to his lips. "I c-can fix-fix my mis-mistake."

"By making me angry at you?" In their arms, he felt so warm, even as the coldness in him killed off bits and pieces slowly like mountains eroding.

"It was- it was a part of it." He was so warm and so cold. "Had-had t-t-to give you a-a reason t-to not f-follow me."

"A sudden change in attitude wouldn't have stopped me." And he hated Gable for it.

"Yeah, I..." He hated Travis for it. "G-gable, you have t-t-to let me g-go." He hated Professor Orimar for it. "I can't- I can't be the reason."

"Reason for what?"

"You- you have t-t-to let me d-die." An awful truth bubbled in him. "If you- if you're my friend, you- you have to let m-me d-d-die." He  _ wanted  _ to hate Jonnit for it too.

“Okay...” For a moment, he thought maybe they saw reason. He was putting them in danger. He had put them all in danger and he could do something about it. But the arms tightened around him and the face buried itself into his short hair. “We can think of something else.”

“Th-th-th-there  _ is.  _ n-nothing el-else.” He hissed back. “N-not for m-me.” But Gable pressed on like a good little soldier 

“What is this great danger?"

Dref didn’t respond- couldn’t respond. He knew Gable, telling them the names would give their anger directions. And they would march to their hell. Death wasn't a privilege they had nor was it something his family would give someone like Gable.

"I can't do anything if you don't tell me."

"G-g-good." That made them growl from deep within. If he had anything left in him, Dref might have laughed. But he was on borrowed time, had been for the past four years.

"Will you let me at least bandage you up?" They kept their calm and that was admirable. Kept their manners, besides the whole verbal contract with no frame of reference. But, in their words as he had heard them say so many times "I'm seven feet tall, I do what I want."

"N-no." And right now, he knew they didn't want to spook him, despite every bone in them His body ached and despised him. Threatened to remind him of other times. But he needed it.  _ Deserved _ to be in pain. For all the plain here will cause. They sighed at his stubbornness.

"Is there anything I can do right now to help?"

But then door opened. The door opened and the coldness in Dref took over. Icy hands poked and prodded at tender organs. He couldn’t stop himself from shivering, his hands curled despite his injuries. “Travis-” Gable began to call out, but half formed pleas tumbled from Dref’s lips on their lap.  _ Don’t answer. Run. Run. Run.  _ Like it had done him any good earlier. And the arms holding him moved, and he was falling. Falling into darkness and into the cold.

And a blanket was laid on him. Low distant voices argued as it was tucked around him. And the arms came back and pulled him close, without a doubt feeling reluctant to ever let him go again. And there was a steady heartbeat with steady lungs in his ear, and a low voice that rumbled from within. He tried to obey, gripping the blanket in a vice rivalling the arms around him as he tried. He was trying, he was always trying. He was trying but couldn’t. He couldn’t obey. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t.

A new voice talked to him, telling him things, things he knew but he couldn’t. And a new hand was on his hair, telling him things he knew again, Fingers swirled the short strands in time with the steady heartbeat with the steady lungs. And the first voice told him to try again. To try and count in time. And so he tried, he tried. He was always trying.  _ Two...  _ Dref was always trying. He just wasn’t always sure what he was striving to become.  _ Three... _ Dref was always trying to be someone needed.  _ Four...  _ He knew he was never wanted and he could do something- just as he should have so long ago.  _ Six... _ He was always trying and he was tired.  _ Seven... _ He was so very tired.  _ Eight... _

“-there you go...” The first voice encouraged.

_ Nine...  _ He didn’t want to run anymore.

“-get anything out of him?” Asked the second voice.

_ Ten... _

_...and do it again. _

He really didn’t want to do it again. The ice that seized him left heavy and slow. He sank deeper into arms that held him like he was endeared. Something precious, something wanted.

“I don’t trust to let him go.” His eyes refused to open as he laid limply there. “He just busted into the office and started saying all sorts of things.” His insides were destroyed by the ice, his voice couldn’t climb out anymore. “Like... remember T’Shirt fifty years back?” Gable whispered.

“Which part?”

“When you tried to get me to fight you.” Travis made a noncommittal noise Gable seemed to be able to translate. A history spanning centuries did that to two people, Dref had to guess. “He did the same thing in a way.” An uneasy silence of understanding fell and Dref felt more out of place than ever with the two. If he could, he would wiggle out of those arms and out of their lives, taking only but the memories they gave him to his quick grave. But Gable held him tight.

"What do you want to do?" Travis left control to Gable and maybe it was the weakness in him but Dref could feel his eyes sting with the threat of tears once again. He didn't have their kind of history, but the past few years he did have, he knew enough. Enough to know that Travis doesn't let Gable lead without a fight for anything.

"I..." Their voice petered out as they tried to regain control of their breathing. With a wavery sigh, Gable uncurled just a tiny bit. "Dref, what- besides me letting you go- do you want right now?"

He wanted to die alone, he knew if he opened his mouth the ice blood truth would spill. So he kept quiet. His hands gripped the blanket tighter as he hid underneath. Old habits died hard and all that. And though he hated that technically he had agreed to this two years ago, Gable’s all encompassing presence was the only thing stopping him from falling into uncontrollable memories. “Do you think you could handle some water?”

He shook his head, his hands ached, blood still caked on his fingers.

“Can I take care of your injuries?” They asked again.

He shook his head again. To feel the pain was a reminder. His friends weren't safe because of him. He needed to leave, one way or another. 

“Should I go wake Jonnit?” There was no malice, no taunt in their voice. Just an offering of comfort.

"No, no, p-please no..." Something that he dreaded to think about. Having Jonnit see him like this again. He begged and begged in a clipped whisper from underneath the blanket.

"Okay, okay. I won't." Their arms squeezed him once again. "But I do think we will need to bring him up to speed in the morning." Bitter tears forced their way out from Dref. He didn't want to face Jonnit. He couldn't face Jonnit. It was the one reason he tried to leave that night and not the next. Let his actions be his goodbye and hope to the luminaries he understood.

"I can get the pullout set up," Travis offered, his voice low and soft, "and in the morning, we can figure something out."

Gable nodded instead of trusting their voice. Their heart was loud in Dref's ear, pounding and drumming with anger only love could cause. Travis made quick work of the couch. Working silently for maybe Gable's sake, but something in Dref feared he might be feeling the same way. They arranged themselves around him, a prison of muscles and guilt. Once before the two had laid beside him, after celebrating his birthday. Travis insisted on his first alcoholic drink be an old one from the time of sailing on the seas, much to Gable's disapproval. Dref insisted he could handle it, only to be woken up by Gable on his phone talking to a worried Jonnit. 22 missed calls never did anyone's anxiety good. Gable showed him that Dref was fine, hungover and not safe to operate machinery anytime soon, but fine.

It hurt him, how much they loved him. How much he loved them. It was suffocating and warm. Exhaustion caught up with him, all too warm with a false sense of security. 


	2. Chapter 2

Dref awoke in the morning's light and was immediately upset that there was a life to wake up to. Then he felt the heavy arms that both tried to pull him closer. And then the chests sandwiched him, both breathing steadily against him. And then the faces pressed into him, one above him, buried in his short cropped hair and one under his chin. Three bodies on one pullout couch, with a fourth watching over them with a mischievous smirk growing wider as each second passed.

"You look comfy." Jonnit commented as he took a sip of coffee.

"H-help." Dref begged, unable to snake his arms out from their prison.

"I literally cannot. They're both heavy and won't wake before 2pm for nothin'."

"D-d-do th-think we c-c-could," his face screwed up as tried to form words, "Indi-diana Jones it?"

"No, cuz that would mean I would be stuck." His smirk reached new heights as he gloated over his friend. "You'll just have to suffer."

"I hate you."

"You  _ love  _ me." And it was true. He loved Jonnit as he loved his imprisoners. And he loved the person they made him be. And in his makeshift jail, he understood that they loved him as he did.

"I-I wished I d-d-didn't." He muttered, defeated. They all would have been safe if he didn't. Course, that's not what Gable heard behind his words.

"You don't mean that." They smacked him what was supposed to be softly on the head, but Dref ended up smacking his head on Travis's from the force, who surprisingly did not wake.

"I-I  _ ab.sol.lute.ly  _ d-do." And the tears from last night returned. He couldn't hide it. They wouldn't let him save them from his family. How it made his heart ache. Gable shifted, pried Travis's fingers from Dref's shirt and sat up. Dref thought it might have been a sign of freedom, sitting up as well and about to bolt, until they pulled him onto their lap and imprisoned him once more in their arms and under their chin.

"Dref, are you okay?" Jonnit asked as he made his way around.

"Hey Jonnit," Gable spoke up, their voice soft and aggravating to Dref's ears. "Can you get the first aid kit and some frozen peas?" He ran off without a word. Dref couldn’t wipe away the burning tears as they fell, could only sit in his anger and their embrace. “I know I can’t force you to talk about whatever got you thinking that way,” they whispered just for him, “but I hope that even if all does seem hopeless, you realize how much you mean to me. To Travis. And to Jonnit.”

“I-I know. And I-I-I hate it.”

“Alright, you emo fuck.” Travis mumbled with his eyes still closed.

“F-f-f-fuck you, you d-d-dress like an ennui d-dandy.” Travis smiled up at him like a Cheshire cat, only fueling Dref’s anger more. Though he couldn’t use his arms fight, he did try to kick him where he lied.

“No, stop it!” Gable scooted further away from Travis as Dref still tried to kick out, only making the offender taunt Dref more. “Stop it-”

“Yeah! Stop it Dref!” Travis mocked.

“Travis, I swear-” 

"Is this what it's like to have siblings?" Jonnit returned, items in hand with a nervous smile. Dref bit back a bitter answer, the thought made him give up his fight. Travis took it as a sign that playtime was over and went back to sleep. His question was left unanswered as Gable took the things, keeping one arm across Dref to hold him in place. He couldn’t meet Jonnit’s eyes like this; Dref couldn’t fight back the shame anymore. “Someone please tell me what’s going on.”

“Now isn’t-”

“Jonnit,” Dref still refused to meet his look when he spoke, “th-they... f-f-found me.” Immediate recognition hit Jonnit, his shoulders dropped, his mouth slacked, and Jonnit had the same look of fear that Dref had the night before.

“Okay, um...” He paced in a small circle by the couch bed, “we prepared for this, right? I can call my mom and-”

“-Jonnit-” Dref tried to cut in, but his dearest friend was far too deep. 

“-I mean, we can go into hiding-”

“-Jonnit-”

“-and online learning is a thing, it would really be so easy-”

“- _ Jonnit. _ ” Dref finally looked up at him, eyes hard set in stone. “ _ I’m. not. doing. that. _ ” Jonnit’s pacing slowed down to a stop. 

“There’s nothing wrong with online learning-”

“I-I’m not p-p-putting you at m-more risk!” And fear became anger when Jonnit yelled back.

“Well I’m not letting them get their hands on you!” He wanted the love in his voice and his words to turn to hatred and he hated that he wanted that.

“I  _ have. a. plan. _ ” 

“Yes, we came up with it a while back-”

“No, Jonnit.” Gable stopped their building fight with 

a calm voice. “Dref, do you want me to tell him what you told me last night or do you want to do it?”

“N-n-niether of us p-p-preferably.” He muttered under his breath, but Jonnit heard all the same.

“No, I want to hear it. I want to hear it from Dref.” He stood in front of them, arms crossed. So much like his mother, it made Dref want to cry. 

“I-I-I c-c-can make sure th-they would have n-n-n-no re-reason t-t-to c-c-c-c-come for you.”

“That isn’t what you told me last night.” Gable pointed out to particularly no one. Thoughts raced in Jonnit's mind as his arms dropped from their defensive state before settling on a nightmare of an answer. 

“Dref? Don’t tell me you’re planning on going back. They- they hurt you-” At least that was one thing Dref could do.

“N-no. I c-c-couldn’t after m-m-meeting you." Ease the worry of his dearest friend. "You showed m-me w-what a f-family c-c-c-could be. W-what it f-felt t-t-t-to be c-c-chosen.” Of all the things he could get right, at least there was this one thing. “W-w-w-what it w-would feel like t-t-t-t-to love something e-enough t-t-t-t-t-t-to d-die for it.” Blood and flesh would never have him again. He found a family to call his own. 

“Dref...” Defeat turned to a panicked rage however. “We have- We came up with plans for this! You don’t have to die!”

"As long as I-I-I am a-alive, my siblings will h-hunt you d-d-down." His head hung down and for the first time, refused to remain silent as he cried. "B-but you  _ ass.holes. _ won't l-let me h-h-help."

"You dying isn't helping us." Gable whispered in a tired defiance.

“Th-they would t-t-torture you if I just l-left.” He explained in between gasps for air. “B-b-but if I died p-publicly, th-then they w-would have no reason t-to c-c-come for you. I-I-I...” He knew if he said the next words, there was no way he could take them back. No plans or manipulations would be able to erase them from his friends’ minds. "...love you all t-t-too much."

Three sets of eyes stared at him as he kept his downcast. The sweetest truth burned like acid on his lips. The dearest truth stabbed all of their hearts through. Three sets of eyes stared at him and he couldn't bear it.

“Then let’s work-” Gable started up again.

“ _ No. _ ” He couldn't bear it. Love was a heavy burden. He had no right to throw that on them. No rights to inject himself into their lives. He was only alive from borrowed time. “Th-the longer I-I-I wa-wait, the- the close-closer they get.”

“Dref, we managed to keep you safe for 4 years-” Jonnit started up again.

“And it-it was a mi-mistake t-to bring your family in-into th-this.” He was raised to be useful, to be a tool. And he had done nothing but brought a conflict that they hadn't even needed to know about.

“Mistake or not, you’re here now-” Travis joined in.

“I-I shouldn’t have-have d-d-dragged any of you into-to th-this!” No one had needed to know this. The Youngblood family kept all their failings and downfalls away from the public eye and Dref was beginning to see why. “I-I d-don't see why you w-won't let-let-let me do th-this for you!” Three sets of eyes weighed heavy on him. "Let-let me be  _ use.ful _ . f-for once!"

“Fuck you Dref.” It hurt to hear it just as much as it hurt his dearest friend to say it. “I.. I can’t-” Jonnit stormed out of the room. Trailing behind was Dref's heart. It was better this way. He knew it was. He had to believe it was. Anything less and he would beg for forgiveness he didn't deserve and sign his best friend's death certificate.

Gable followed after him, letting Dref go for the first time since he had gotten to the condo. They had been the first after Jonnit to call him a friend. It only made sense they would be the next to give up on him. Wherever Gable went, as Dref learned, Travis did too. And soon he would be able to fix his mistake. Maybe he could still save them.

He moved to stand up when arms pulled back down, bracketing his head in a powerful deadly vice. Travis held his grip tight as Dref flailed out. "You're struggling a lot for someone who wants to die, you know."

"It-It has t-to-"

"I could just kill you now, quick and simple, and place your body somewhere public." Dref felt fear take him, the reality dripped nauseatingly from Travis’s lips. "Is that what you want? You wouldn't have to go through the hardship of making goodbyes or peace to whatever god is listening. Save you time." His smile was empty. "Tell me, do you want to die?"

"N-no." Dref finally whispered.

"You're going to have to be a little louder." The taunt was empty as well. Travis, so usually full of confidence and life, was just empty.

"No. N-not like th-this."

"What? You mean with your friends in the other room? Like dying somewhere else is going to be any better. Death is death is death any way- you especially- come to it. Can you be sure no one would follow you?”

“T-travis-”

“-Listen,” he cut him off, not a breath of exhaustion yet Dref could feel the weariness flow from him in waves. “I get it. It would be easier, you would be in less pain. Becoming the martyr for your friends is not as heroic as you might think.” His laugh was empty and hollow but warmed with fond memories. "If you and Jonnit are anything like me and Gable, I can  _ assure _ you he will curse your name should you leave him."

“I’m- I’m g-g-going to k-kill him.”

“Then stick around and make sure he doesn't die." He hissed back, his grip tightened. “I’m pretty sure that even with all the brains you got, you still can’t see the future. If you could, you wouldn’t have become my friend.” Dref felt a rebuttal bubble in his throat, but it only would be fuel to inspire Travis to hold him tighter. “But now you have me and Gable. And you know damn fucking well we would never let anything happen to him.”

“Th-that’s p-part of th-the reason I’m okay-”

“-oh? So you do trust us? Because it has been sounding like you don’t since you don’t trust us- especially me- to out assholes your family of assholes.” Even though this was the closest he had been to death in the time away from his family, there was something different. Something new. “I’m confused, do you trust us or not?” One final truth struck Dref through the heart.

“ _ Yes. _ ” Even with his life in his hands, just one wrong move from snapping his neck, he trusted him. A new light lit in Travis’s eyes, like an old fireplace forgotten taking life again, as he leaned close to Dref's ear.

" **Then. Take. It. From. Me.** " And Dref could feel the weight of hundreds of years, each day lived in heartbreak and fear of more to come. Each sunrise to the next, having to choose what made a curse into a blessing. What made it bearable even though at the end of it all, there would be just him. “We will all get through this. Together.” And that was the will to try and to treasure each life he let in, for as long as he could. "So, do you want to die?"

"No." He said, finally giving up the struggle.

"Good." He let go of his grip, letting Dref's head fall onto his lap. "You have your brilliant handsome immortal friend, the big idiot, and Jonnit." He smiled down, not in his usual condescending way. No, there was a fear resolved in his smile. "If anyone can figure out how to get rid of some assholes, it would be us assholes." Gable, unfortunately, had just walked back into the room. Left speechless despite knowing Travis.

"Th-thanks." Dref looked up from his prone state.

"Yes, surprising, I know." Travis leaned back, his confidence and life coming back to him in bits. "I  _ do _ care."

"C-could have sur-surprised me." And Travis laughed. He was a creature of love after all, under all that jackassery he called a personality.

“Travis! The fuck!” The spell holding Gable's tongue broke and the torrent of utter disbelief split from their lips.

“Okay, I’ll admit that was a bit much but since you decided to bring up my little stint, I thought I’d use the advice you told me back in T'Shirt.” Travis stretched languidly, but his smile failed to hide the absolute joy in getting back at Gable. And the hurt of the mention of that dark time. “That one proverb, ‘throw a suicidal man into the sea and see how he struggles. Kill that situation- not the person’ or whatever. Except we’re landbound.” A look of confusion struck their friend’s face. With slow realization and a pinch of the bridge of their nose, their shock melted into exasperation.

“Travis, that doesn’t mean actually threaten the person.” Gable sounded like he had added years to their already infinite sentence. 

“Potatoes  _ Po-tah-toes _ .” And as always, Travis didn't care. 

“One of these days, I am going to kill you.” Or maybe he did, Dref began to see.

“Thought you weren’t supposed to threaten the person.” It was what made their life worth it and what made it hurt. What made it worth getting up. What made it worth to try everyday. And he won't have their kind of extended stay, so he needed to make the best of it. Dref wasn't a tool anymore. He was a friend and that in it and of itself meant something worth fighting for.

Dref stood outside the door. Exhaustion threatened to take him where he stood, but he had to do this. The bandages that wrapped around his hands were nervously picked at, until he remembered Gable's threat should he remove them. Stealing a sigh, he knocked. "J-jonnit?"

"Yeah?" Nauseating fear slipped from underneath the door. He pressed on still.

"I-I know th-that my..." He swallowed hard, his foot already deep lodged in his throat. Fixing things was never an issue for him before. Not with his family who paid in blood, and the fear that resided in him despite being free. "I-I'm s-sorry... and I-I'm st-staying here." But that was living, was it not? To learn and to try. To become the best you. "T-Travis had a-a-a really g-good p-point..." He would fail, but that didn't mean he couldn't try again, "b-but most im- most importantly, I-I... c-couldn't leave know-knowing you were m-mad at me." And the best him, for now, was standing beside his friends. "S-so now, I have to- have to stay long enough t-to make things right."

And the door opened to Jonnit's smiling face. Tears fell from the corner of his eyes and yet he smiled. "If that's the case, I'm going to be mad at you for the rest of my life."

There were no words left for him to say as Jonnit pulled him into his arms. He could try for him. The cold comfort of the grave didn't nearly hold him as tight as the warm home he had built. And with it came uncertainties, true, but he was willing to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey, quick disclaimer:
> 
> Don't do what Travis did. It's a shitty thing to do. There's so many things that could go wrong doing it in real life. Travis and everybody in this is fictional and ever since I heard that proverb, I've always been like "huh... what if someone actually used that philosophy and threatened to kill the person wanting to die?" Like I know personally, if someone did that to me in my darkest moments, I would have processed things a whole lot faster. But not only is hindsight 20/20, it's also just a shitty thing to do. Don't do it. It had been my main apprehension about posting this fic cause I didn't want anyone to get the idea to try it out so like help ease my worries by understanding that this story is fictional and the method Travis used is coming from a fictional immortal slightly immoral man who has forgotten what it actually feels like to fear death.
> 
> Don't do what Travis did, Gable is on the very edge by the whole contract without frame of reference thing. It's important to ask for consent each time, folks. They just... have been through this before and finally realized they could physically restrain people because they're 7 feet tall and do what they want.

**Author's Note:**

> So yes, modern au. Some things to clarify:  
> 1\. Orimar is a professor and he's missing, presumably dead  
> 2\. Only Jonnit has a current valid driver's license  
> 3\. They all live in Orimar's condo cuz it's paid off and they're keeping him alive on paper because car insurance is crazy for young men. By keeping him alive on paper, they get to pay old man's insurance prices rather than young man's prices.  
> 4\. Dref and Jonnit have been friends for 5 years at this point and essentially brothers for the past 4 because Dref ran away at the age of 16 and Jonnit's family took him in.  
> 5\. Jonnit is 17 in this just because it makes a little more sense for him to be in college at 17 rather than 15  
> 6\. Gable and Travis are even older in this than canon.  
> 7\. Dref's first alcoholic drink is a Maelstrom because Travis is mean and rude.  
> 8\. The Uhuru is a Subaru. Orimar is very proud of himself for that.
> 
> I promise this will have a happy hopeful ending. Feel free to bug me on tumblr if you want like more details for Modern au. I've been cursing my buddy ol pal long enough.


End file.
